Rotary engine.



c. PETERSEN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1914- 1,155,092. PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

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` ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN-16.1914.

1,155,092. Pafentedsept. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANBDRAPH C0..WAS'HJNGTON. D. C.

GHRISTEN IPETERSEN, F DAVENPORT, IOWA.

ROTARY ENGINE. o

` specificaties of Letters raient.

Patented Sept.28, 1915.

Application inea January 1c, 1914. serial No. 812,544. Y

To all 'whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, Gmnsfrnis Pn'rnnsnN, a citizen'of the United States,residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, haveinventedcertain new and use ful Improvements inI Rotary Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary steam engines of the low speed type.

The object of the invention is to provide an engine of this vcharacterof simple construction and low cost of maintenance and wherein thrustmay be applied tothe rotary piston substantially throughout `a completerotation thereof, or more specifically, vfivesiXths of a revolution.

Further objects ofthe invention will be more fully described inconnection with the accompanying drawings and will be morek particularlypointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings z-Figure l is a view in end elevationof a rotary engineembodying one form of my invention. f Fig. 2 isa view in side elevationthereof. Fig. 3 is a sec and a portion 3 of cylindrical formwhichterminates in an elevated thrustreceiving portion et, extending atan angle to the vertical downwardly to the base.l,"as will be clearlyseen by reference to Fig. 3. The base is also provided with guidinguprights 5 in which abutmentrollers 6 are journaled.

The cylinder is indicated at 7 and is shown open at its end and isprovidedwith a flange 8 adapted to be anchored to thethrust-receivingportion 4 by bolts 9 having set nuts 10. The cylinder7`is shaped to conform to the seat of the saddle l and is provided witha horizontal portion ll resting upon thefhorizontal portion 2. Bolts 12,provided with set nuts 13, serve to an-y chor the cylinder on the part 2of the saddle. A steam inlet isindicated at 14 which discharges into avalve chamberl 'provided with a closure 16. The valve chamber isprovided withv a steam port 17 which `opens into the cylinder, asindicated in Fig. 3. A swinging `valve l8,finountedto be swung byrotation of a rod 19, is provided with a port closure 20 which isslidable upon an arcuateport seat 21 which is shaped to conforni to thepath of oscillation described by the port closure 20. The valve rod 19eX- tends throughV the wall of the valve chamber 15 and an arm 22 ismounted on the outer endthereof and connected with aneccentric rod 23.The eccentric rod 23 is formed as a continuation of aneccentric strap24- which embraces an eccentric 25 of the drive shaft 2G. It will beseen by reference to Fig. 4, that the drive shaft 26 is notjournaled 'inthe ends of the cylinder and that the same, as hereinbefore stated, isshown open at both ends, the piston being mounted on'and keyed to thedrive shaft. The cylinder 7 is pro,- vided with an exhaust port 27 whichis shownfopening to atmosphere as clearly in dicated in Fig. 3. Inpractice,I will'provide heads for closing the ends of the cylin-` der`and `boxes for supporting the drive shaft. Y l

The piston 'is indicated at 28 and the same issupported by the driveshaft 26 and is provided with'a peripheral cavity 29 which forms anannular steam "spaceclosed by the cylinder 7. The inlet and exhaustports 17 and 27, respectively, open to the annular steam space 29 andthe piston 28 is provided with` a steam thrust abutment 30 whichinterrupts the steam space and projects-into engagement with the innerwall of the cylinder 7. A suitable packing 3l is disposed between theouter end ofthe thrust abutment-30 and the innerwall of the cylinder 7.fLaterally'of the steam space 29, the piston carries metallic packingrings 32 which are held againstinner shoulders, as'showny by retainingrings 33 which are shown an chored ,toi the sides of the piston 28 bybolts 34;. The piston packing rings 32 coact with cylinder packing rings35, also of metal, to prevent leakage of steam laterally from steamspace 29. The cylinder packing rings 35rabut against shoulders 36 andare heeled,

as at 37 to engage flanges 38 on the retaining rings The retaining rings33, with the cylinder 7, provide for lateral annular packing spaces 39which are filled with suitable non-metallic packing which may be held inposition by packing rings 40 which enter between the retainingV rings 33and the cylinder 7, as will be clearly seen by reference to F ig. 4. Thepacking rings 40 are provided with fianges 41 through which bolts 42pass into the cylinder 7. Set nuts 43 serving to lock said bolts.

A cylinder abutment 44 is supported and guided by rollers G inA uprightsand enters the cylinder 7 through a radially disposed abutment openingand is provided with'a rounded terminal end 45 for proj ectionv into thesteam space,` 29 and into engagement with the peripheryof the piston 28.The cylinder abutment'44 is disposed between the intake and exhaustports 17 and 27, respectively, so that when it is in the positionshownin F ig. 3, it will force the steam to pass inthe direction of thearrow shown to engage abutment on the piston 28 and revolve the same.Inorder to permit the piston abutment 30 to pass ythe cylinder abutment34 I provide improved means for controlling the cylinder Y abutment 34,which I will now describe.

Abutment 44 is shown provided with rack teeth 46 for engagement with atoothed acj tuating, segment 47 which is mounted upon a segmentactuating shaft48. Segment actuating shaft 48. is j ournaled in thecylinder 7 and projects laterally therefrom as willbe seen by referenceto Figs. 1 and 2 and carries on its outer end a retracting toothedsegment Y 49. An' actuator 50 is mountedon the piston `28 andA may beprovided with an armrl secured to one of the retainer rings asindicated'at 52. When the actuator 50 strikes the retracting segment'48,as will be seen by reference toF ig. 1, it will rotate the same and theshaft 48in a contra-clockwise direction so as to retract the abutment 44from the position shown in F ig. 3 to permit the abutment 30 to pass. Arestoring toothed segment 53 meshes with the retracting segmenty 47 andis mounted upon a shaft 54 which may be suitably journaled in thestructure of the cylinder 7. The restoring segmentis provided with anactuating tail 55 which isswung in the path of the actuator 50 after theretracting segment 47 has been tail porion 55 to turn the restoringsegment 53 back intothe position shown in Fig'. 1.

The eccentric control for the valve 18 is so 'timed that it will cut osteam during retraction and restoring movement of the abutmentr 44 anduntil the abutment 30 has ypassed the inlet port 17 whereupon the latterwill be opened by the valve 18,k first slowly, to take advantageof'expansion, and then full g open to aiford direct pressure thrust onthe abutment 30. i

In order toprevent steam leakagethrough j the passage afforded forabutment 44, I providea packing plate 56, which is slotted at 57 foradjustment in different positions by a set bolt 58. The forward edge 59serves to engage any suitable forni of packing which' may be disposed inthe space Gf to tightly' compress the same against a packing abutment61. The packing plate '56 may be advanced into a tight-packingtightening position by means of a screw 62 adapted to engage a ange G3and extending through a lug 64, formed on the abutment 44. A set nut 65may serve to lock the screw 62 in an adjusted position. A, metallicpacking member 66 embraces the forward curved end V45 of the abutment 44and is provided with heel ends 67 which loosely engage slightly enlargedopenings in the lateral sides of the abutment 44. A spring 68, securedat 69, serves to hold the metallic packing 66 in tight abutment againstthe wall of the peripheral cavity 29. The lugged'ends 67 will preventthe pac-king member 66 fram being forced too far into the cavity 29when. the abutment 44 is retracted. I have shown the packing abutment 61secured to the abutment 44 by screws 7 0 and I preferably mount thespring 68 on the packing abutment 61.

It is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will beclearly understood from the foregoing description and while I haveherein Yshownand described one specific embodiment ofy my invention, Ido notwish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as theclaims may import.,

I claim 1. In a slow-speed rotary engine, a cylinsaid cavity intoengagement with said piss ton, and meansoperated by said `piston forretracting and restoring said cylinder' abutment, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a slow-speed rotary engine, a cyl# inder having inlet andexhaustports, a rotary piston revoluble in said cylinder and having aperipheral cavity forming with said cylinder a steam space and' providedwith a thrust abutment projecting into said space and engaging saidcylinder, a cylinder abutment disposed between .saidinlet and exhaustports and slidablc into said cavityV into engagement with said piston, ashaft supported solely by said piston and extending through the openendsof said cylinder, and means connected to one of tl'iecxtendedextremities of this shaft operable to control the admission of steam`into saidsteam space. f. Y

3. In a slow speed rotary `enginean open ended cylinder having inletyand exhaust ports', a rotary piston revolubly mounted in said cylinderand having a peripheral cavity forming with said cylinder a steamspaceand provided with a thrust abutment projecting into said space andengaging said cylinder, a cylinder abutment slidably disposed betweensaid inlets and exhaust ports to enter said cavity and engage saidpiston, shafts abovel and below said abutment, means carried by oneofsaid shafts to control movement of said abutment, means caried by eachof said shafts for mutual engagement, and means carried by ksaid pistonfor successive contact with eachof last said means in retracting andrestoring said abutment. f

et. ln a slow speed rotary engine, an open ended cvlinder having inletand exhaust ports, a rotary piston revolubly mounted in said cylinderandfhaving a peripheral kcavity forming with said cylinder a steam spaceand provided with a thrust abutment, projecting into said space andengaging said cylinder, a cylinder abutment slidably disposed betweensaid inlets and exhaust ports to enter said cavity and engage saidpiston, shafts above and below said abutment, means carried by one ofsaid shafts to control movement of said cylinder abutment, means carriedby each of said shafts for mutual engagement, fixed means on said pistonin advance of said piston abutment in the direction of rotation forsuccessive contact with each of last said means in retracting andrestoring said abutment, a shaft supported solely by said piston toextend through the open ends of said cylinder, and means operable bvsaid extended shaft to control the admission of steam into said steamspace.

5. In a slow speed rotary engine, an open ended cylinder, inlet andexhaust ports therefor, a rotary piston revolubly mounted in saidcylinder and having a peripheral cavity forming with said cylinder asteam space, a valve chamber formed in said cyl inder and connected withsaid space by said inlet, a swinging valve mounted in said chamber andcovering in its path said inlet,a shaft supported solely by said pistonand extending through the open ends of said cylinder, and eccentricmeans linking said valve to the movement of said shaft to oontroladmission of steam into said steam space.

(3. ln a slow speed rotary engine, an open ended cylinder, inlet andexhaust ports therefor, a rotary piston revolubly mounted in saidcylinder and having a peripheral cavity forming with said cylinder asteam space, a thrustl abutment carried by said piston andprojectinginto said space to contact with said cylinder, a cylinder abutmentslidably disposed between said inlet and'exhaust to enter said cavityand engage said piston, a valve chamber formed in said cylinder andconnected with said space by. said inlet, a swinging valve mounted insaid chamber and covering said inlet in its path ofmovement, a shaftsupported wholly by said piston, an eccentric means linking said valvetoisaid shaft to control admission of steam into said space, meansengageableto control movement ofy ysaid cylinder abutment, and meanscarried by said piston in the `paths vof saidengageable means to'retract and restore said abutment in conjunction with the admission ofsteam and the passage of said piston abutment.

7 Inarotary device of the character described, alcylinder provided withinlet 'and exhaust ports, a rotary piston therein provided with a thrustabutment, a sliding cylinder abutment movable into said cylinder betweensaid ports, retracting and restoring toothed segments in mesh-engagementwith each other for `operating said cylinder abutment, and an actuatorcarried by said piston in advance, as regards the direction of rotationthereof of said thrust abutment to successively contact with` saidsegments in retracting and restoring said cylinder abutmentl to permitof the passage of said thrust abutment.

8. In a rotary Vdevice of the character described, a cylinder providedwith inlet and exhaust ports, a rotary piston therein provided with athrust abutment, a sliding cylinder abutment movable into said cylindersbetween said ports, retracting and restoring toothed segments inmesh-engagement with each other for operating said cylinder abut-' ment,and an actuator carried by said piston and projecting through one of theopen ends of said cylinder to contact with one of said segments inadvance of the passage of said thrust abutment to retract said cylinderabutment, to force outwardly intol its path theother ofsaid segments andto later contact with this latter in restoring said cylindery abutmentafter the passage of said thrust abutment,

9. In a rotary device of the class described, a cylinder provided withinlet and exhaust ports, a rotary piston therein provided with a thrustabutment, a sliding cylinder abutment movable into said cylinder andbetween said ports and provided with teeth, an actuating shaft providedwith a toothed segment for engagement with said abutment and an actuatorsegment, an idle shaft, a restoring toothed segment mounted on said idleshaft and meshing with said actuator toothed segment, and fixed meanscarried by the piston for first operating said actuator segment toretract said cylinder abutment and then operating said restoring segmentto restore said cylinder abutment and then operating said restoringsegment to restore said cylinder abutment, substantially as described.

l0. In a rotary device of the class described, an open ended cylinderprovided with inlet and exhaust ports, a piston revolubly supported insaid cylinder and provided With a peripheral cavity forming with saidcylinder and annular steam space communicating with said ports, metallicpacking rings on opposite sides of said steam space, and annular packingdevces'for non-metallic packing outside of said rings, substantiaily asdescribed. Y

l1l. In a device of the class described, an open ended cylinder providedwith inlet and exhaust ports, a piston revolubly supported in saidcylinder and provided with va peripheral cavity forming With saidcylinder and annular Y speed space communicating `vvith said ports,metallic packing rings carried by said cylinder on opposite sides ofsaid space and pro-vided With heeled or shouldered edges, metallicpacking rings carried by said piston on opposite sides of said space'for engagement with said cylinder rings, retaining rings on the ends ofsaid piston flanged to engage the shoulders of said cylinder rings andprojecting in spaced relation to the interior of the ends of thecylinder to form annular packing spaces, and adjustable rings carried bythe cylinder for compressing the packing in said spaces, substantiallyas described.

l2. In a rotary device ofthe class described, a cylinder provided withinlet and exhaust ports, a rotary piston in said cylinder having aperipheral cavity semi-circular in cross section and forming a steamspace communicating with said ports and having a thrust abutmentprojecting into said space, a cylinder abutment movable into said cav--ity and having a rounded end, a packing strip surrounding the roundedend of said abutment and having lugged end portions movably connectedWith said abutment, and a spring mounted on said abutment for urgingsaid packing strip into engagement with said cavity, substantially asdescribed. f

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tvvo Witnesses.

CHRISTEN PETERSEN. Witnesses:

I-I. I-I. Voer, f HANS P. IIOHN.

Copies of this patent may beiobtarined forivc cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G. s

